This fivesome has combined to win two more games (20) before Columbus Day, than they did all of last year. And four of them are currently in first place in their respective leagues.

It may still seem early, but by the end of the weekend each of theses teams will have passed the halfway point of their 2008 schedule. From there, anything can happen.

WEST SIDE STORY:
The Terriers (4-1) share the Suburban League lead with South Hadley at 2-0.

West Side has allowed 11 points per game, which has helped it win three of four games decided by 11 points or less. The lone loss was in overtime, on the road, to Holyoke.

The most recent magic came last Saturday, when Kyle Brodeur returned a kickoff during the final 10 seconds to spark a 22-16 win over Comp.

"We have all kinds of good running backs and a defense with five seniors," Labonte said. "The offensive line is new, guys starting for the first time, playing for the first time in a few years. Guys new to varsity. The good side of that is that they don't have bad habits."

The Terriers went 1-10 last year, and last won as many as five in 2004.

"This is the first group we've had with the coaching staff for four years and this year we have great captains and all the classes get along," West Side coach Chad Labonte said. "No one is doing things like talking about each other behind their backs ... we just have a great group of kids."

At first glance, it may look good that West Side has only three teams - Agawam, Holyoke and South Hadley, each at 3-2 - with winning records on its schedule. But still on the slate are back-to-back road games at defending Suburban League champion East Longmeadow and Chicopee, followed by a home date with South Hadley.

West Side is home to Cathedral (0-4, 0-2) Friday night.

ANY PLACE, ANY WARE:
The Indians have five wins already, that on the heels of a 3-26 record the last three seasons.

"(Good) things have kind of snowballed," Ware coach Mike Robidoux said. "Honestly, we were looking at a .500 season. We had 18 kids at the first practice, I had to almost threaten them to recruit kids, and we got up to 28."

"These are the same kids who were getting pounded for the last few years. They are focused to stay on this side of it."

Ware has a strong backfield led by brothers Jared and Dylan Sawabi and Chris Guzik, and hasn't had to lean too heavily on freshman quarterback Chad Adams.

"We had so many running backs and we got some help on the line, so we ended up
switching from a West Coast offense to a double wing," Robidoux said.

Ware (5-0, 3-0) is off to its best start since 1999, when its 10-0 team went to a Super Bowl in 1999.

"You know all the young kids running around being the end zone at our games now? These kids now were those kids then, when Ware had the reputation of always being tough to beat," Robidoux said.

"We had to change the culture, get back to playing physical. And the kids liked it."

The Cybercats figured to be in contending mix, but now look like front-runners after defeating two-time defending league champion Frontier and Mahar

After Saturday's matchup with Mohawk Trail (1-4, 0-2) at Central High School at 2 p.m. - the Cybercats hit the road for four straight weeks, three of which are ICL games. When they do return, it's for rival Putnam (5-1, 4-0) Nov. 22 at Plumb Field.

IT'S EASY BEING GREEN:
Greenfield (4-1, 2-1) has done all the right things to establish itself during its second season in the Intercounty League

"We don't have a lot of kids with varsity experience, but we've had a few kids step up and we've hit some teams at the right time," Greenfield coach Mike Kuchieski said. "

The line, which starts two sophomores and three seniors, is the best Kuchieski said he has had in years.

The offense is balanced behind QB Shawn Parsons and running back Denzell Cameron.

"We're almost running a West Coast offense that looks like a run-and-shoot with some Wing -T to it. It's a spread bone, without the option, so everyone is touching the ball," Kuchieski said.

Greenfield, off to its best start since 7-0 in 2003, still has the league's Big 3 - Mahar, Putnam and Sci-Tech - in successive weeks starting Oct. 24.

"The kids are excited to be in the thick of it, but we know we did to take care of the ball to do anything from here out," Kuchieski said.

Greenfield plays at Pioneer Saturday at 1.

PALMER, PALMER:
The Panthers (3-2, 3-0) have joined company as a threat in the Tri-County League, but their next month is brutal.

Starting with a road date Friday night at Pathfinder (2-2, 2-0), the Panthers have four straight road games. Three come against teams currently undefeated in TCL play and the other against two-time defending league champion Dean Tech.

"We're not home again until Thanksgiving," Palmer coach Bill Gallagher said.

Gallagher said the team's biggest improvement has been the play of the defensive line. But as Steve Demers has gone - so too have the Panthers.

The junior running back already has 1,056 rushing yards, a per game average of 211, and has 14 TDs. Last week, Demers rushed 27 times for 361 yards and five TDs in a win over Pioneer.

"He is as good as we've had as far as running backs go," Gallagher said.

NOTES:
With the hoopla surrounding's Longmeadow 80-point night against Minnechaug last week, it should be noted that Hoosac Valley was an 83-0 winner over McCann Tech during the 1990s. The 135 points scored by Longmeadow Minnechaug is a single game record for Western Mass . . . Ware, Sci-Tech and Longmeadow (5-0) are the last remaining unbeaten teams in the region . . . Westfield's Tim Gaylord (859) averages 214 yards a game and he is the next best threat to reach 1,000. He ran for 1,511 as a sophomore . . . MassLive.com will have live blog coverage from the Palmer-Pathfinder (video highlights and interviews) and Agawam-Holyoke games. Quarterly updates will come from the other eight games played. And don't forget to check out the weekly high school podcast at MassLive.com.